Detection and Characterization of Avastrovirus Associated with Diarrhea Isolated from Minks in China

Astroviruses are becoming a growing concern in veterinary and public health. Many astrovirus species are associated with enteric diseases have been described in both mammalian and avian hosts. In the present study, 23 fecal samples from diarrheic minks were collected in Liaoning and Shandong Province, and an investigation of astrovirus was performed using biochemical methods and RT-PCR assay with specific primers. A total of four mink astroviral isolates were detected from sick minks with diarrhea problems. Further sequencing and characterization of the partial ORF1b gene and ORF2 gene segments revealed low sequence identities (20.0–85.3 and 31.8–87.2 %) with known astroviral strains, indicating the emergence of a novel clade of astroviruses. Some new features of the astroviral genome have also been discovered. The phylogenetic tree revealed that all samples were distantly related to mink astrovirus and were closely related to chicken astroviruses and turkey astroviruses. MK/DL-1, MK/DL-2, MK/SD-1, and MK/SD-2 formed a new clade and were found to be more closely related to astroviruses from birds than to other mink strains, indicating past cross-species transmission and considerable zoonotic potential.     

对长江防洪规划的思考

在初步分析长江１９９８年水情与防汛情况的基础上，对长江防洪体系中各项措施的情况作了研究，说明在９８年抗洪斗争中已建控制性水利枢纽发挥了较好的作用，如三峡工程已建成则防汛情势会有本质变化；长江主要堤防均保证了安全，出险多的是一些保护面积相对小的堤段；分蓄洪区安全建设严重滞后，从而难以决策实施计划分洪：“平垸行洪，退田还湖”应区别对待，植树造林，水土保持很严重，但不是影响９８年洪水的主要因素。长江防洪     

纳氏试剂光度法测定废水中氨氮的问题讨论

应用纳氏试剂比色法测定废水中的氨氮时,水样显色后稳定时间短,影响测定结果的准确性,针对这一问题进行了实验研究。实验中对主要影响因素Ｉ－和ＯＨ－的浓度变化进行了条件实验,结果表明选用所配的Ⅲ型纳氏试剂（ＫＩ含量为７．５ｇ）,可获得稳定的有色胶体,也可采用Ⅰ型纳氏试剂（ＫＩ含量为７．０ｇ）、在中和硼酸后再多加２ｍＬＮａＯＨ（１ｍｏｌ／Ｌ）,也可获得稳定的有色胶体。     

减灾行为社会化是防洪减灾战略转移的必然方向——美国防洪减灾战略的转移和演进

无论是工程措施还是非工程措施,它们对防御洪水、减轻灾害都是必须的。但是,任何手段都不可能制止洪水灾害,人类可以达到的目标只是减轻水灾损失,而各种减灾措施能够达到的实际效益决定于社会对它们的支持程度。作者研究了美国７０年代以来防洪战略转移的历史进程,认为当此世纪之交,我国的防洪战略应更加注意政策导向,以增强国家防洪主管部门行使管理职权的权威性,并推动地方政府、社会各部门逐级分担防洪减灾责任。     

应用大鼠全胚胎培养方法探讨偏钒酸铵的致畸作用及其机理

本文通过ＮＨ４ＶＯ３体外大鼠全胚胎培养致畸实验研究，发现ＮＨ４ＶＯ３对大鼠胚胎具有直接胚胎毒性和致畸性，且具有显的剂量一反应和时间一效应关系，其作用机理可能与卵黄囊的功能受到钒化物的损害有关。     

Assessment of heavy metals in aquatic sediments

The concentration of heavy metals in the bottom sediment and interstitial water collected from two reservoirs in Singapore was found to be enriched. A distribution coefficient,K _d , was used to assess the chemical stability of heavy metals in the sediments. Numerical models were used to assess (1) the redistribution of heavy metals in a changing environment, and (2) long-term self clean-up capabilities of a reservoir.     

Environmental and Biological Assessment of Exposure to Benzene in Petroleum Workers

Occupational exposure to benzene was measured in two gasoline marketing terminals and five major refineries in Singapore. A total of 280 workers were monitored over two years. This assessment was carried out with two primary objectives: (1) To find out the extent of occupational exposure to benzene in the petroleum industry in Singapore, (2) To identify suitable biomarkers for monitoring of low levels of benzene exposure. The exposure was measured in five different categories of petroleum and petrochemical workers, i.e., truck drivers, despatch assistant, process operators, oil movements operators and laboratory technicians. The results revealed wide variations in exposure, from 0.01 to 13.6 ppm for personal time weighted average (TWA) exposure over the whole workshift. The exposure of truck drivers appeared to be the highest, with geometric mean (GM) of 1.98 ppm (ranged from 0.25 to 13.6 ppm). The average benzene exposure for process operators was relative low with a GM of 0.04 ppm. Lowest benzene exposure was found in the laboratory technicians, with a GM of 0.02 ppm. As cigarette smoking is known to affect metabolism of benzene, data analyses on the relationships with environmental exposure were conducted only on the 190 nonsmokers. The results showed that urinary trans, trans-muconic acid (ttMA), unmetabolized benzene in urine (UBZ) and benzene in blood (BBZ) were better biomarkers for low level benzene exposure as compared to urinary phenolic metabolites in urine, such as hydroquinone, phenol and catechol.